Capsule filling machine with a vertically reciprocable v-shaped sweep



March 27, 1951 R. M. FRITTS 2,546,300

- CAPSULE FILLING MACHINE WITH A VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE V-SHAPED SWEEP Filed May 15, 1946 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 CAPSULE FILLING MACHINE WITH A VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE V-SHAPED SWEEP Ralph M. Fritts, Kansas City, Mo.

Application May 13, 1946, Serial No. 669,311

4 Claims.

This invention relates to pharmaceutical apparatus and particularly such equipment as is employed to mechanically load capsules in large numbers and substantially simultaneously.

The primary aim of the invention is the provision of a capsule filling machine capable of quickly, economically and positively loading a number of capsule sections and holding the said loaded sections in such positions as will permit readily capping the same.

Further aims of the invention are to provide a machine of the aforementioned character that is capableof accommodating capsules of various sizes; that is quickly shifted for adjusting the parts thereof to the various stations; that is capable of being cleaned and sterilized whenever necessary; and that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, compact and therefore desirable because of the limited amount of space which it occupies at a prescription counter for example.

Other aims of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the capsule filling machine made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken on line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on line IIIIII of Fig. 1. i

In the form of the invention chosen for illustration, the numeral [6 generally designates the necessary framework that includes a base l2, a standard [4, and a vertically disposed shaft l6 journalled in a bearing l6 for rotation about its longitudinal axis. The bearing I8 is protected by a dome-shaped housing 26 and a shield 22 carried by the base l2 and the shaft [6 respectively. Through such construction, the bearing I8 is fully protected against granular materials that are usually loaded into capsule sections 24.

A pair of plates 26 and 28 respectively are secured to the shaft IS in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The lower plate 28 is held in position by a set screw 36, and the annular periphery of the plate 28 has an upstanding, continuous flange 32 which circumscribes the annular periphery of the plate 26, which plate 26, like the plate 28, has a continuous, upstanding rim 34 integral therewith. This rim 34 confines the material to the upper surface of the plate 26 during the operation of the machine.

The plate 26 has a number of perforations 36 formed therethrough to receive the upper, open ends of the capsule sections 24. These upper ends should lie in a plane with or be slightly below the upper surface of the plate 26, and, to the end that capsule sections of different lengths may be accommodated, the plate 26 is shiftable along the shaft I6. The means for shiftably interconnecting the plate 26 and the shaft I6 is as shown in Fig. 2. The shaft l6 has a number of notches or cavities 38 to receive a plunger 46 of a latch 42 which also has a spring 44 to yieldably maintain the plunger 46 against the shaft I6 or in the selected notch 38. Suitable indicia 46, etched or otherwise created upon shaft 16, will teach the user the distance between the plates 26 and 28, and therefore the size of capsule to use when the plate 26 is in a given position.

If all the perforations 36 are not to be utilized, plugs such as designated by the numeral 48 may be brought into play to prevent the material from dropping through the perforations where the capsule sections 24 are not present.

The standard l4 carries an arm 50, which in turn slidably receives a stem 52, on one end whereof is mounted a head 54. At least two sweep sections 56 are carried by the head 54 and these sections are each provided with an inclined face 58 along the leading edge thereof, which prevents the material being handled from climbing and spilling over the sections 56 to an objectionable degree. Set screws 60 hold the sections 56 at the desired angle and a set screw 62 adjustably maintains the arm 56 in place. Through such instrumentalities, the sections 56 may be disposed at appropriate angles, and in fact, a selected group of perforations 36 may be rendered without the limits of the sections 56 if they are not to be used. The sections 56, head 54 and stem 52 all rest upon the upper surface of the plate 26 and as the latter is rotated by hand with respect to the plate 28, the perforations 36 are successively carried beneath the material being loaded which is confined between or to one side of the sections 56. The stem 52 is polygonal in cross section, as is the opening in the arm 50 through which the stem 52 is passed. The sections 56 are therefore held in place to the side of axis of rotation of the plate 26 where the perforations 36 are all located.

It is contemplated that the sweep structure including the sections 56 may be eliminated in simpler forms of the invention and that a sweep held by the hand of the operator may be used if desired. Any granular material that may escape from the capsules 24 after it passes through the perforations 36 will be caught in the dish-shaped plate 28 for confinement therein rather than allowing its escape from the machine per se for settlement upon objects and in locations where it may do harm. The rim 34 cooperates with the sections 55 in confining the granular material being fed into the capsules 24 to the upper surface of the plate 26, and during the operation of the machine extreme care need not be exercised to the point of rendering the equipment objectionable from that angle.

After a number of the capsules 24 have been filled and it is desired to cap the same, the plate 26 is released and lowered as the plate 28 serves as an abutment or support for the several capsule sections. By so doing, the upper, open ends of the capsule sections 24 are exposed to receive the caps that are manually positioned by the operator. The shiftability of the plate 26 toward and from the plate 28 serves a number of purposes, and since the sweep follows the plate 25, its adjustment to receive the capsules of various lengths may be without regard to the sweep for it will automatically follow the plate 26 and be ready for use regardless of the position of the latch 42 and therefore, the plate 26.

Such modifications as fall within the concepts of the invention may be produced and utilized with the desired protection so long as the same fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A capsule filling machine comprising a pair of relatively superimposed plates mounted for rotation on a vertical axis; a number of capsulereceiving perforations formed in the uppermost plate; an elongated stem mounted for free, vertical reciprocation on the longitudinal axis there of ;'and a V-shaped sweep overlying the plates and secured to the stem at the lowermost end of the latter for free floating, vertically reciprocable movement therewith toward and away from a position resting on said upper face of the uppermost plate.

2. A capsule filling machine comprising a pair of relatively superimposed plates mounted for rotation on a vertical axis; a number of capsulereceiving perforations formed in the uppermost plate; an elongated stem mounted for free, vertical reciprocation on the longitudinal axis thereof; a V-shaped sweep overlying the plates and secured to the stem at the lowermost end of the latter for free floating, vertically reciprocable movement therewith toward and away from a position resting on said upper face of the uppermost plate; and means mounting the stem for horizontal movement with the sweep thereon toward and away from the axis of rotation of the plates.

3. A capsule filling machine comprising a pair of relatively superimposed plates mounted for rotation on a vertical axis; a number of capsulereceiving perforations formed in the uppermost plate; an elongated stem mounted for free, vertical reciprocation on the longitudinal axis thereof; a V-shaped sweep overlying the plates and secured to the stem at the lowermost end of the latter for free floating, vertically reciprocable movement therewith toward and away from a position restin on said upper face of the uppermost plate, said sweep including a pair of separate, elongated arms having their longitudinal axes horizontal and angularly displaced relatively; and means releasably mounting the arms on the stem for adjustment of said relative angularity of said axes thereof.

4. A capsule filling machine comprising a pair of relatively superimposed plates mounted for rotation on a vertical axis; a number of capsulereceiving perforations formed in the uppermost plate; an elongated stem mounted for free, vertical reciprocation on the longitudinal axis thereof a V-shaped sweep overlying the plates and secured to the stem at the lowermost end of the latter for free floating, vertically reciprocable movement therewith toward and away from a position resting on said upper face of the uppermost plate, said sweep including a pair of separate, elongated arms having their longitudinal axes horizontal and angularly displaced relatively; and means releasably mounting the arms on the stem for adjustment of said relative angularity of said axes thereof, the innermost longitudinal edges of the arm-s being beveled toward the uppermost plate presenting an overhanging, angles surface on each arm respectively facing said upper face of the uppermost plate.

RALPH M. FRITTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 347,941 Krehbiel Aug. 24, 1886 725,921 Baseman Apr. 21, 1903 1,189,243 Giles July 4, 1916 1,371,264 Rittenbry Mar. 15, 1921 2,457,220 Fowler et al Dec. 28, 1948 

